Community Center changes allows parks and rec to offer more classes

The De Soto Parks and Recreation Department is offering classes for adults to discover their inner child.

Parks and recreation department director Jay Garvin said among the classes offered this fall are adult kickball and dodge ball. Both games, with little change from elementary or middle school gym classes, are among the revamped schedule of fall recreation programs his department is offering, Garvin said.

With the old middle school library in the De Soto Community Center recently opened to recreational activities, the city is able to enhance a number of programs or offer leagues at what he hopes are more popular times, Garvin said.

"We've changed things around a little bit," he said. "We've but all the fitness classes in the old library and the kids' dance classes."

That freed up more gym time on weekday evenings, which allows Garvin to move an unsuccessful co-ed recreational volleyball league from Sunday evenings to Thursday evenings.

Registrations are due Sept. 1 for intermediate league volleyball, which will continue to play Monday evenings, and the recreational league, Garvin said.

"Basically, it's like playing when you were a kid," he said. "It's modified a little bit to make fielders stay back."

The league is open to those 18 and older and games will be played on the Miller Park B field.

Adult dodge ball, which Garvin has tried several times to get started in the last year, will start Nov. 7 in the Community Center gymnasium if there is enough interest. Garvin said he had offered the sport as a Sunday evening league.

"I was told that wasn't a good time to get away," he said.

With independent soccer and football youth leagues available in De Soto, Garvin said his department stays out of fall youth sports. It does, however, offer youth fitness and dance classes in the fall and will add entry-level classes to its popular dance instructions Tauna Hill Kelner offered through the city.

Eight-week classes of beginning and intermediate dance with instruction in ballet, tap and jazz dancing will start Sept. 12. The classes will be offered in sections for ages 2 to 5 and ages 6 to 9.

More information on class times is available at the De Soto City Hall and the city's Web site: desotoks.us.

With registration for fall leagues and classes under way, recreation coordinator Justin Huslig is already working on winter sports leagues. Huslig said he was sounding on the De Soto High School basketball coaching staff about their interest in participating in youth basketball leagues as coaches had in the past. He is also sounding out the city of Eudora parks and recreation officials about playing basketball teams from that city.

Interest has been positive on both fronts, Huslig said.

Finally, Huslig said the new De Soto swimming pool will be open weekends through Labor Day. It will close for the year Sept. 9 with a special dog day from 3 to 5 p.m. at which residents will be allowed to bring their dogs to the pool, he said.

For more information about any of the De Soto Parks and Recreation Department activities, call Garvin at (913) 583-1182, extension 127, or Huslig at extension 131.